Underpass work without alternate road leaves Bengaluru's Dodda Alada Mara Road residents stranded

Bengaluru: Residents of Dodda Alada Mara Road in western Bengaluru have criticised railway and civic authorities for closing a major traffic artery without providing an alternate route. 

Construction of a railway underpass, which began a week ago, has left Goodearth Palmgrove Layout and nearby industrial units almost cut off.

Closure of Level Crossing 16 for the underpass has severed the road, a vital link for trucks, industry employees, and residents.

A 10-minute drive to Mysuru Road now takes up to an hour via narrow, dusty 7 to 8 km village roads during peak hours.

"We feel like we are trapped on an island,” said Vinod Kumar, secretary of the Goodearth Palmgroves Homeowners’ Association.

The layout has over 47 families, mostly senior citizens. “If someone is seriously unwell, an ambulance cannot reach us in time. We are living in constant fear of a medical emergency,” he said.

Another resident said, “I had to call an ambulance at 2 am for my mother a week before the closure. Had it happened today, I do not know if she would have made it.”

Some residents have already begun migrating to alternative homes in the city, unable to cope with the disrupted service of basic essentials and garbage collection.

While residents acknowledge the need for the underpass, they say the execution has been unplanned.

“There are more than 500 industries here. Thousands of workers must travel an extra 7 to 8 km every day. They cannot get buses on time,” said Kamlesh Mehta, general secretary of the Kumbalgodu Industries Association. “Rules require a 60-foot-wide road, but the underpass is only 32 feet. Heavy vehicles will create problems for others,” he said.

G Mahesh, president of Ramohalli gram panchayat, said heavy vehicles diverted into Bheemana Kuppe and Ramohalli villages have damaged roads and water pipelines. “Potholes are forming and sewage is mixing with drinking water,” he said. He added that trucks have crashed into houses while turning, damaging structures and electric poles.

With the project expected to take 11 months, Kumbalagodu residents fear prolonged disruption and safety risks.

Urgent demands

Residents and the local industry association have sought immediate intervention from authorities:

- Asphalt Bheemanakuppe Road and restrict it to light vehicles.
- Speed up the Challaghatta metro depot underpass to divert heavy vehicles. 
- Station an ambulance on the affected side of the tracks and ensure a dedicated route for essential supplies.
- Deploy traffic police to segregate industrial and residential traffic.

Slow-moving traffic on alternate narrow routes. 

Crumbling roads around Bheemanakuppe.